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January 09, 2005
DNF
well, i made it 12 miles-1:22.01!!!
first i should note that the course was awesome. incredibly flat. wonderful support--the bands were so great...they played covers and would change lyrics to make them more runner-centric--the cheerleaders were also so energetic and outgoing and supportive, the water and drink stations were abundant and the volunteers were out of this world.
the start time was reasonable...7:40. the organization at the start of the race was great. there were thousands of people on hand for the 1/2 marathon and full marathon.
all of this is to say...there really are no great excuses for why i dropped out.
so--after a saturday of relaxing in phoenix...w/my brother and husband...i set off at 6:55 am to get to the starting line. i had to find the UPS trucks to dump my sweats in...and then i wanted to get in the port o pottie line. once i did all this...i actually only had 10 minutes until the start of the race. i jogged around for 5 minutes...my legs felt great...and then tried to squeeze into corral #1. this turned out to be impossible...the corrals were overflowing so i was stuck in the funnel leading to corral #1 when the gun went off!
the race took off...the sky was clear and blue. after a couple days of rain and clouds in phoenix everyone agreed it was great to see blue again!!!!
about 1/2 mile into the race my nose started running and i just started to heat up. a combination of the flu that i was desparately trying to stave off all week and allergies that I'm used to contending with...(but really didn't think twice about --though i should have since the climate is a bit different in AZ)...hit me and even before i got to the mile...i thought" oh man, this is going to be a tough day."
i continued on...each mile thinking oh my goodness, 25 miles left to go. i was running right on pace between 6:46 and 6:52s each mile...w/the 3:00 hour pacing group right there w/me-- But I was struggling... my upperbody felt incredibly tired and my head continued to "enjoy" increasing pressure from my sinuses. I honestly felt like i was running 6 minute miles...that 's how much effort i was throwing into these miles.
to make matters more dramatic--a combination of not feeling well...flu symptoms and being stressed (I know stress had a lot to do with it...i certainly had high expectations going into this race))( just feeling so uptight during the race--i hate that feeling and try to avoid it at all cost!!! but today i couldn't!!!) caused me i think to throw up a few times between miles 8 and 10. everytime i would get too worried about how hard the miles felt my throat would tense up and there went my breakfast...(it was actually quick...and i managed to catch up to the group i was running w/after my episode...but i'm sure i wasted tons of energy and spirit doing this...) . the second time...my dinner went out the door!
by the time i got to 7 miles i felt like i had already done a marathon. i was trying not to panic and get too upset. i had already realized it wasn't my day. i was struggling w/the idea of just finishing vs. dropping out. i am always so critical of people who drop out...thinking why would they drop out. but during these minutes and hour and a half that i did run...i know why i decided to drop out. it's just not fun being out there when you are having an off day.
in the end , yes i'm disappointed. however, i got into very good shape training for this event--so i feel like that's a gain. and i'm definitely ok with my decision. i really wanted to achieve my goal...i had no intention of scraping by and just finishing ( i know that sounds awful!!! ) i thought if my team was there...i know i would have gutted it out for the team...but this marathon was for me...and i can live w/my decision. today just wasn't a great day for me.
what' s next? i'm not sure. i ll take a week off and regain my energy and motivation and see what the year has in store for me!!!
Posted by liz at January 9, 2005 04:24 PM
Comments
Liz, that sounds horrible! I am so so sorry. I can't believe you got so sick. I think that is just horrible. I know you have better days ahead of you. I can't wait to catch up.
Take care of yourself!
Posted by: Mary at January 9, 2005 05:13 PM
i am so so so sorry this happened, liz. but it sounds like you have the best attitude coming out of it! the marathon is so damn hard - we spend months training for it, but we cannot predict illness and off days. it's so frustrating! you definitely made the right decision - with a little rest and a mental break, i see a sub 3:00 in 2005!!
Posted by: bridget at January 9, 2005 05:20 PM
Liz,
I'm really sorry to hear about this. I had wondered if your cold and flu symptoms had finally gone away in the days before your race. I guess not! Oh you poor thing! It sounds like a pretty miserable experience, being sick out there on the course.
Perhaps you would have done something really nasty to your body if you would have kept running and finished. Severe dehydration (like that you could get from vomiting like that and continuing running) can affect body tissues for weeks after the actual incident. Cell walls weaken and lose their tensile strength during dehydration, making them likely to break en masse when you rehydrate and/or jar your body (like in returning to running). You body can take weeks to regenerate cells in mass quantities like that.
Anyhow, I'm rambling, but my point is that I think you did absolutely the right thing. You let your body guide you and tell your mind the best thing to do. Today wasn't your day physically, but there are so many ahead in your future.
Rest and recover, as I'm sure you will. I look forward to hearing what you dish up on your plate next. On to the next adventure!
Thinking of you,
Meghan
Posted by: Meghan at January 9, 2005 05:28 PM
I'm so sorry to hear it wasn't a great day for you. As Bridget said, we spend months training for a specific race, and it stinks when that particular day ends up being an off one. The throwing up sounds like an excellent reason to stop running - you were losing the fuel you were going to need later in the race. If you had kept going, it could have gotten truly ugly.
This sounds like the best kind of DNF though, because once you recover from your sickness and anything else that was a factor today, your body will be pretty well rested (it probably won't take a month for your legs to feel better again)...And it's obvious that you're in excellent shape right now.
I really think you hit the nail on the head - there's no point in struggling to finish a bad marathon, when you know that the same pace would feel easy on a normal or good day. There's so much luck involved in all of this, and I'm really sorry yours wasn't better.
Reading your update reminded me a lot of reading about Paula Radcliffe in the Olympics (what she wrote in her book). You were in similar situations - your bodies weren't absorbing the fuel they needed - and she said that the only reason she kept going was that it was the Olympics. This was a big race for you, but at least it wasn't the Olympics - and you can basically choose another race whenever you want, if you want.
Take it easy this week!
Posted by: Alison at January 9, 2005 05:42 PM
Sorry to hear it Liz, but I'm with everyone else that you did the right thing. There are certain things during every marathon that you just have to push through, and tossing your cookies is not one of them. No doubt. You do what you can to let your mind coax your body, but ultimately you have to listen to what your body tells you.
So now you are in fabulous shape and don't have to take any time off to recover! Here's to some great races in your near future!
Posted by: jenandmats at January 9, 2005 07:12 PM
Sorry to hear your marathon turned out so crummy. Dito what everyone above said. Personally, I've done the "just finish" the marathon thing twice. The first time I didn't regret it, but the second time it was definately a mistake. Sounds like you made the right choice. Have a good week off, spend some time thinking about some new goals for the rest of 2005.
Posted by: james at January 9, 2005 08:55 PM
Liz, I'm sorry to hear about your race. It sounds like you made the right decision. You're in such great shape that once you recover from this flu, you'll be able to pick another marathon and kick some arse!
Posted by: Leilani at January 10, 2005 01:37 PM
Sorry to hear about your less-than-desired marathon result. Racing marathons requires a little bit of luck on race day as well as being fit. It was unlucky to have been ill prior to the race, but you just have to adopt the attitude that the next race that comes along will go well for you. (And it probably will)
What Meaghan said about recovery is absolutely correct. Take the next 10 days to two weeks easy, then resume your training. You might consider going for that sub-3 at the Napa Marathon. You will already be in excellent shape from your Rock-n-Roll training, and those gently rolling hills in the first half of the Napa race will actually help delay muscle fatigue during the race. I actually believe Napa is a pretty fast course, especially for good hill runners. (Like you.) It's my PR course. The only downside I can see to running Napa is that Cool is the following week, and I know you are entered in that as well. The race-day weather can be a bit of a crap-shoot, too. (As you well know!)
At least you got a chance to travel to a fun race with the hubby and see family. Sounds like you enjoyed the positive aspects of the race as well. Good for you!
Posted by: Dave at January 10, 2005 03:30 PM
Such a bummer that it was not your day yesterday. Take the next week to ten days of to rest your body and recover, then find some other races to use all of your fitness in.
I had a terrible year in Boston a few years ago, would not DNF, but walked most of the second half of the course. The rest of the summer and fall I set huge PRs at every distance since I was in the shape of my life from the marathon training. My point is, take your current fitness and take advantage of it when your body is ready.
Enjoy living like a "normal" person for a few days :)
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at January 10, 2005 05:20 PM
Ditto what everyone else said! So sorry Liz. I truly know how you feel as I also DNFed at Columbus this past October. We both absolutely, positively made the right decision, but I know it's still tough! The runner deep inside just wants to finish. Now you have a lot to look forward to though. After a little R&R you'll be rearing to go and in awesome shape for some great performances! Enjoy your time off. Thinking of you lots!
Posted by: Beth at January 10, 2005 05:45 PM
Ditto again to all the comments above. I am so sorry that you had to DNF the marathon, Liz! However it sounds like it was absolutely the right decision and you will take your great conditioning into the next race.
Posted by: barb at January 11, 2005 08:04 AM
Please Update Soon! :) .. We miss you!
Posted by: mary at January 14, 2005 11:56 AM